Иностранная литература
Производитель Benteli Verlag

Описание:
Fighters made of bronze, gigantic wall reliefs depicting heroic cosmonauts, and socialist pomp: When you enter subway stations in Eastern Europe and in countries that were once part of the USSR today, time seems to stand still. The stations are chronicles of the history and art of a long vanished world power. In this volume, photographer Frank Herfort presents around 20 metro systems of the Soviet era from Moscow to Bucharest, from Baku to Tbilisi. His focus is on the details, capturing over 700 works of art with his camera. They were conceived as prestige projects, thousands of kilometers apart and created under different conditions in different times. The stations in his photographs come together to form a holistic and comprehensive representation of socialist art that does not stand alone but relates to the everyday life of people today.

Описание:
Inspired by Antoni Gaudi's Parc Guell in Barcelona and the Mannerist park Sacro Bosco in Bomarzo, Niki de Saint Phalle, together with her partner Jean Tinguely, created her sculpture park in Garavicchio, in the southern-most part of Tuscany. In this vast garden, the 22 cards of the tarot's Major Arcana are represented in the form of enormous sculptures, 12 to 15 meters high, made of painted polyester and reinforced concrete, covered with mirrors, mosacis, multicoloured ceramics and Murano glass. This enchanted world was, for her, the ultimate achievement of her oeuvre, its culmination. Including texts written by Saint Phalle herself and explaining her thoughts and intentions in creating the sculptures, this book is a concise introduction to the garden. Moreover, it is a piece of art in its design, inspired and created by Saint Phalle herself.

Описание:
Strange stone formations, overgrown primeval forests, arctic ice floes - Max Schmid's photographs bear witness to the fact that Switzerland is not just a land of Alpine idylls and snowy mountains. These pictures show the wild side of Switzerland, untamed nature in all its dramatic power. One might be in Australia, Greenland or some other unexplored area of the planet forgotten by humans. Sublime, bare, lush, colourful, romantic or even apocalyptic - the pictures in this volume show just how incredibly diverse the Swiss landscape can be.

Описание:
Michael von Graffenried glaubt unbeirrt an die Kraft des fotografischen Bildes, an seine Fähigkeit zu provozieren, zu verblu ffen, zu informieren, aufzuklären. Er zeigt Sujets, die andere nicht sehen, nicht zeigen wollen oder können. Ob Nudisten am Neuenburger See, das Innenleben des eidgenössischen Militärs, die Goldreserven der Schweizer Bank oder den Alltag der päpstlichen Schweizergarde: Immer wieder gelingt es dem Fotografen, in verschlossene Welten einzudringen. Er bricht Tabus, blickt hinter die Kulissen oder legt den Finger auf soziale Wunden. Graffenrieds Ansatz ist dabei pragmatisch. Er fu hlt sich keiner Schule verpflichtet, keiner Ästhetik, keinem Trend. Formalästhetisch geht er seinen eigenen Weg. Seine Bilder in Farbe oder Schwarz-Weiss sind u berlegt konzipiert, mitunter ironisch, aufs Wesentliche konzentriert. Graffenried weiss um die Struktur eines starken Fotos, ohne Formalist zu sein. Das Gestalterische steht immer im Dienst einer zu erzählenden Geschichte. Stets ist er dicht am Geschehen und nimmt sich Zeit fu r seine Themen, sodass in seinen Bildern eine Nähe und Authentizität entsteht, die den Betrachter beru hren und ihn zum Nachdenken anregen.

Описание:
Photographer Marco Paoluzzo first became interested in China decades ago, yet the passionate world traveller refused to visit the country for political reasons until 1998. At that time, two friends invited him to collaborate on a book about Shanghai. He was quickly fascinated by the land, and it was here that he met Feifei, now his wife. He has returned to China almost every year since then, and each time he has made new discoveries. This book is the fruit of numerous exploratory journeys that he has randomly taken through the countryside. It is the photographer's personal travel log, documenting China's leap from the Maoist era into the 21st century and capturing life in China in all it's simultaneous complexity and simplicity.

Описание:
Among the immense variety of printed matters, the poster is without doubt the visual designer's supreme discipline. Every poster is a new challenge for it's creator. It is a tradition for many museums, interested in cultivating a smart, artistic image, to present themselves through sophisticated posters.They are meant to arouse interest and convey the essence of an exhibition through iconic imagery. To Rene Gauch, the personal and spontaneous compliments from museum visitors and colleagues and the memories they take home are more important than national or international awards. The high quality of his works springs from a fascinating interplay of image and text. It must be a passion for artistic composition that inspired Rene Gauch to create poster masterpieces. The tools and stylistic devices of his work are precision, fantasy, playfulness and a will to experiment. The exhibitions advertised are long over, but the posters remain with us as witnesses of a whole era. Rene Gauch's iconic posters are nowadays found in museums and private collections worldwide.

Описание:
Fairytales and legends, literary forms that convey fantastical events, reveal a lot about the culture and identity of the country that produced them. Iceland's abundant nature forms both the stage for and the mirror of the countless myths and legends that run deep through the country's history: raw and mystical, well-loved but often somewhat bizarre. The 45 carefully selected stories here tell of its fantastical creatures, its fateful natural phenomena and its legendary characters. Magnificent photographs conveying the enchanting natural beauty allow a unique and intensive immersive experience in the fantastical worlds of Icelandic fairytales and legends.

Описание:
The photos in this volume were taken under studio-like conditions that are, however, always at the mercy of chance: Silvio Maraini photographed horses in their familiar surroundings, often in a riding hall, sometimes in a box or in the shade of a barn. Through reduced lighting, a calm, monochrome background, and the absence of a bridle or halter, the noble creature is removed from it's everyday context. Free from distraction, the gaze is led to the important details and concentrates on what is essential in the picture - the horse and its charisma. In the eyes one means to recognize shyness, curiosity, skepticism, indifference, pride, serenity or caution. What they really feel, what they think or know remains hidden to the viewer - but it simply doesn't seem relevant, no matter whether it's a successful sport horse, a popular show horse or a famous breeding horse. With an introduction by Olympic gold medal winner Ingrid Klimke.

Описание:
In numerous civilizations throughout world history city walls were an indispensable part of every city. In China they can be traced back to the 21th century BC as fortified symbols of power and manifestation of the Middle Kingdom. In the course of the country's long history several thousand have been erected, varying enormously in form, length, construction technology, functionality and significance. These city walls represent a unique heritage and a central identification factor from which to gain access to the self-image of Chinese culture. After years of decay and ignorance, it was only a few decades ago that they were discovered as cultural monuments and the securing and restoration work began. The city walls recorded in the statistics today, of which a selection is presented in this book by new and historic photos, range from wall ruins in the ground via about 150 with a length of more than one kilometer to the famous fortification of Nanjing, which still has more than 20 kilometers standing.

Описание:
Pioneering feats of industrialization and electrification, the around 200 retaining walls, weirs, and dams in the Swiss Alps are to this day among the most important built monuments of the country's economic success. With their perfectly crafted architecture, these functional marvels emanate an almost sacral tranquility. Photographer Simon Walther has been captivated by their magic: fascinated by the interaction between nature and technology in the harsh conditions of the alpine climate, he presents the energy and power inherent in every flood barrier in all four seasons in a surprising light. Some walls dominate the landscape with their weighty mass, while others almost seamlessly fit into it. At the same time, in his photographs each dam stands as an independent work of art in Switzerland's untamed nature.

Описание:
Nowhere is the question of existence so tangible as in the solitude of the mountains. Photographer Markus Gisler has an eye for the unusual, the surprising and the poignant. He is fascinated by shades and nuances: foggy, snowy or rainy days, mystically overcast mountain chains, dramatic cloud formations and eerie twilight moods. Gisler’s photographs are powerful images of nature that allow the observer to actively share in the diversity and intensity of the Alpine world. The sublimity of nature reverberates throughout this volume.

Описание:
“Flow describes the feeling of a blissful mental state of complete absorption in an activity that happens as if by itself.” Join us on an adventurous road trip to the best surf spots in Europe along the Atlantic coast, which is also a trip in search of the soul of surfing in which you will meet and get to know unique and exceptional people from all over the world. With this illustrated book of authentic portrait photographs and very personal, sometimes touching, sometimes crazy stories, the artist couple shows a variety of motivations and lifestyles, far away from palm trees, beach bars and other clichés. As different as their protagonists and their stories are, they all have one thing in common: the desire and longing for the sea, the wind, and the waves – in search of adrenalin and freedom. The book is an inspiring and emotional journey for the search of one’s own “flow”.